DPWH plans bridge, underpass to connect BGC, Makati and Ortigas

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday bared before the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) its plans to build a bridge that would link Taguig City's Bonifacio Global City (BGC) with the Pasig City's Ortigas Center and a vehicle underpass at the heart of Makati's business district.

In a presentation made before the sectoral committee on infrastructure development of the MMDA-Regional Development Council, the DPWH said the "Bonifacio Global City to Ortigas Center Link Road Project" will directly link the two bustling business districts and will also provide accessibility between the cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Taguig and Makati.

The project, which involves the construction of a "bank-to-bank" bridge (similar to the design of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge in Cebu) that would cross the Pasig River along J.P. Rizal Street in Makati near the Makati Park and Garden to Sta. Monica Street in Pasig City across.

From the bridge, the route would take the motorist travelling from the BGC through Sta. Monica Street through Shaw Boulevard and then to West Capitol Drive near where the high-end Capitol Commons residential area (formerly the Rizal Capitol) is located.

Engr. Virgilio Bonsol of the DPWH said the construction of the project will start this July and is scheduled to be completed by June of 2016.

The project said the MMDA, would be taken-up for discussion on Wednesday with the Metro Manila Council (MMC) which is composed of all the mayors of Metro Manila.

Ease EDSA traffic

The DPWH said that with the new connecting bridge, some of the traffic on EDSA and the C5 Road woulld be relieved and travel time is expected to improve from 9 kilometers-per-hour to 28 kph.

In addition, the DPWH said travel time between the BGC and the Ortigas Center during peak hours would improve by some 15 percent or from 7.5 kph. to 8.7 kph.

Aside from cutting the travel time between the affected urban centers by some 20 percent, the DPWH also projects that overall travel speed on the entire network is expected to increase by 6 percent.

Meanwhile, the DPWH also announced its plan to build a vehicle underpass along Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly Buendia) in Makati's Central Business District.

According to the DPWH, the construction of the four-lane, 570 meters tunnel that passes through the Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas intersections would start this July and is slated to be finished by April 2016.

The DPWH said the P1.2 billion project will be locally funded and is expected to reduce traffic congestion in the area by some 50 percent.

It said that the project starts at the Makati Avenue going west towards Ayala Avenue and ends at some 240 meters from Paseo de Roxas going east towards EDSA and Kalayaan Avenue.

The existing number of lanes and road widths of the westbound and eastbound between Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas will be maintained while the sections adjacent to the tunnel approaches will have two lanes on both directions, the DPWH added.

The MMDA said the proposed tunnel project will also have to be discussed with the MMC today in their meeting at the Makati City Hall.